Should My Dog Eat A Grain-Free Diet? What Are The Pros and Cons of Grain Free?

Coming up with a diet for your dog is a task that should be taken very seriously. In recent years, Grain-free dog diets have become really popular. This popularity is mostly due to similar products cropping up for people. These diets have been incredibly beneficial for people who deal with various celiac diseases, intolerance to gluten foods, or contain allergies to wheat.

Plenty of pet owners usually copy their own food choices when it comes to selecting a food for their dog. With the ever-growing number of dog owners choosing to consume a grain free dietary plan, dog food manufacturers have become aware of this trend and developed similar pet diets that appeal to dog owners.

Now as a dog owner yourself, I’m sure you’re wondering if this type of diet is the best choice for your dog?

Benefits of grain-free dog food

Veterinarians these days will recommend dog owners to have a small portion of dog food to be made up of grains and carbohydrates. Plenty grain free dog foods, mostly the moist and freeze-dried grain free dog foods, contain an abundance of protein and animal fats and fewer carbohydrates than their grain-based counterparts, making them much easier to be digested by a dog.

Here a list of some other benefits it can provide your dog:

Helps keep dogs fuller longer resulting in eating less frequently

May reduce canine food allergies

More energy

Fewer and smaller stools

Healthier skin

Shinier coat

Less shedding

Better breath

Reduced flatulence

Is grain free food the correct choice?

Most dogs don’t require a grain free dietary plan. But how do you know if your dog does indeed require this kind of diet? In order to discover this questions, let’s look at a couple of the reasons why dog owners decide to feed their dog a grain free diet.

One of the many reasons dog owners tend to decide on feeding their dogs a grain free foods is due to the mistaken belief that these diets are an optimal choice for dogs that have food allergies. While food allergies do happen to dogs, corn and other similar grains are not listed as the most common allergens located in foods. For that matter, according to researchers, corn is actually one of the least likely sources of food allergies.

Beef has been discovered to be one of the more common allergens, being responsible for the majority of cases reported. Diary leads in as the second most reported cases of allergies. Corn has been identified as the offender of very few cases.

For dog owners who have a canine companion that truly suffering from an allergic reaction, a grain free diet would be an optimal choice. Here’s a list of symptoms dog owners should expect in dogs that have food allergies:

Itchiness

Excessive hair loss

Bald patches

Inflamed skin

Sore and scabs

Hot spots

Even so, if your dog is perfectly happy and healthy with their current diet, then you’ll most likely not need to make any sort of dietary changes. Make sure to always consult your local vet before deciding on any major changes to your pets current diet.

An extra cautionary approach to undertake is to check out the ingredients labeled on your dog’s food packaging or even the brand’s websites. If they have a list made up of soy, wheat or even corn as their first ingredients, then take the time to consider gradually changing to a formula that features protein as their main choice of ingredient.

If it comes down to you deciding on changing your dog dietary plan from a grain-based dog food to grain free, do so gradually. Slowly introduce the grain free dog food by mixing it in a small portion at a time. By gradually increasing the amount over the course of time, you’ll give your dog’s digestive system enough time to adjust. During the change, make sure you keep a close eye on your dog’s stool to ensure they’re not constipated or suffering from diarrhea.